A Healing Touch
by badge744
Summary: A dead body, an elderly couple with some good advice, and a heart to heart talk, all combine to help Pete and Mikki lay their cards on the table and bring their true feelings for each other out into the open.


A Healing Touch

© February 2010

'One Adam-12, One Adam-12; Ambulance call, Griffith Park, south side pond, near the dock; report of a child in the water; handle code 3.' The dispatchers' voice came over the radio, stopping Jim Reed and Pete Malloy in mid-conversation.

Jim picked up the mic and acknowledged, "Griffith Park, south side; One Adam-12 clear." Pete had already turned on the lights and sirens and had turned the car around, heading toward the park.

"Clear on the right" Jim advised as they approached the intersection, slowing slightly just to be sure that there wasn't any oncoming traffic that hadn't been spotted.

Pete continued to drive in silence, looking for potential traffic hazards as he drove.

"Clear right" Jim said once again as they went through another intersection.

Pete turned into the entrance of Griffith Park, turned off the lights and sirens and proceeded to the pond area.

Jim picked up the mic, "One Adam-12 on location Griffith Park, south side."

'Copy that, One Adam-12.'

Donning their hats and placing their nightsticks in their belt holders as they exited the squad car, Pete and Jim hurried over to the elderly couple that was standing next to the pond and gazing at the body floating near the dock. As Pete and Jim approached it was obvious at first glance that the body had been in the water for awhile. Glancing at each other, Pete was the first to speak, "Better call it in. Slow down the ambulance and get the detectives out here."

"Yeah, we'll do." Jim trotted off toward their unit.

Turning back towards the couple, Pete took the lady by the arm, "Mrs.…?"

"Zenderfeld; Elizabeth Zenderfeld; oh, and this is my husband Ralph…is that person really dead officer?"

"I'm afraid so, Ma'am…let's step over here so we can talk, okay?" He gently led the couple several feet from the pond, as Jim returned with the police tape and began to rope off the area. He had called the detectives and the coroner, along with an ambulance to transport the body to the morgue.

Turning his attention back to the couple, Pete began to question them about how they came across the body.

"Well, you see," Mr. Zenderfeld began, "Lizzie and I were taking our morning walk, just like we do every morning. We like to mix it up a little, you know, walk around the neighborhood sometimes, and sometimes come to the park. Change of scenery is good for a soul, you know what I mean, young man?"

Pete smiled and nodded, "Yes sir…so you came here for your morning walk?"

"Yes…like I was saying, we took a small walk and then Lizzie here wanted to look at the water…she likes to try to see the fish jump."

Once again, Pete smiled at the elderly couple. As he looked at the woman though, he noticed that she looked terribly pale. "Ma'am, are you okay? Let's go over here and sit down on the bench." Pete led them toward the park bench, where the couple sat down, just as the ambulance and a detective unit pulled in, followed by the coroner, a short time later.

"Officer, I…oh, my chest hurts a little and it's…har…hard…to…" The woman's eyes rolled and she slumped forward into Pete's arms, where he was standing in front of her. Easing her down onto the ground, Pete began to check her for signs of breathing and heartbeat as yelled for his partner.

"JIM!" Pete yelled, "Get those ambulance attendants over here on the double! Tell them to bring the Oxygen; she's having trouble breathing."

The ambulance attendants quickly rolled the stretcher over, and after placing the oxygen on her, they lifted Mrs. Zenderfeld onto the stretcher, and then quickly loaded her into the ambulance and helped her husband in. Pete was told that they were taking her to Rampart. Judging from what he saw, Pete figured that she would be there for awhile.

As the ambulance pulled away, Pete walked back over to Jim, "Did you call for another ambulance?"

"Yeah, it's on the way." Jim stated as Jerry Miller lumbered over to where he and Pete were standing.

"Pete? Did the witnesses say much before the lady went into distress?" Detective Jerry Miller asked.

Pete shook his head, "No, they hadn't gotten farther than the fact that they were taking their morning stroll before she started having difficulties. Jim and I will head over to Rampart and check on her and to see if we can get anything out of Mr. Zenderfeld. What d'ya think we got here, Jer?"

"Looks like a young teenage, Caucasian male. From the looks of him, he's been in the water awhile. You guys work this area quite a bit, any missing juveniles fitting this description that you know about?"

Both Pete and Jim shook their heads 'no'.

"Well, when we get the body out, if there's no identification, we'll notify the Feds and see if they have anything."

Both officers watched as the body was being pulled from the water and then Detective Miller checked for an I.D. Finding nothing more than a crack pipe and a very soggy pack of cigarettes, he told the attendants to take the body to the morgue at Rampart as soon as the coroner was finished doing his preliminary exam and had officially pronounced the juvenile as deceased.

Turning to Pete and Jim, "Look, you guys may as well head over to Rampart and find out anything else you can from the couple that found the body. Just let them know that we may need to speak further with them, okay." Jerry instructed.

"Yeah, uhm, sure thing." Pete replied. "Let's go, Jim."

The two officers returned to their cruiser and after strapping into their seatbelts Jim called in to dispatch that they would be on follow-up at Rampart.

The ride to Rampart was relatively quiet and Pete could tell that the dead juvenile was weighing heavily on Jim's mind. Almost as if reading his thoughts, Jim spoke up, "Pete…what do you think happened to that kid?"

"I don't know, Jim; obviously something, but then again, may nothing. Maybe he fell in and couldn't get out, and ended up drowning."

"You don't really believe that, do you Pete?" Jim was doubtful.

Casting his partner a sideways glance, "No; as much as I'd like to, I don't. But it's not going to do any good to sit here and speculate before we have any details or facts, either."

"Yeah, I know. It's just hard to see someone so young, so…so…"

"…Lifeless?" Pete supplied.

"Yeah."

Arriving at Rampart and parking in the area reserved for police and other emergency vehicles, "Call us out on follow-up, Junior."

Jim picked up the mic and put them out on follow up at Rampart and then he and Pete exited the squad car and went in through the emergency room doors. Dixie McCall was at the nurses' desk and greeted them.

"Well look what the cat drug in; if it isn't Pete Malloy and Jim Reed. To what do we owe this honor?"

Pete flashed Dixie a flirtatious smile, "Hey Dix, now you know that we couldn't be in the neighborhood and not stop and see our favorite nurse, now could we?"

"Give it up Pete, you're old news; you know Dixie's got her sights set on certain doctor, these days." Jim interjected, earning him a glare from his partner.

"Well now, I'm not married off just yet, Jim…let's see what Pete has to offer, first."

Pete, realizing where it looked like he wanted this conversation to go, suddenly looked a little uncomfortable and quickly re-directed its' path. "We're actually here on business, Dixie. The ambulance brought in an elderly lady with chest pain a short while ago."

"Oh, yeah, Mrs. Zenderfeld. She's in treatment room 2; Kel's in there with her now. You want me to go check on her?"

"Uhm, yeah, if you don't mind. We just need to talk to her and her husband and find out if there is anything else that they can tell us."

"Stay here; I'll be right back." Pete watched as Dixie went down the hall and disappeared into the treatment room.

Pete and Jim stood at the nurses' desk, waiting for Dixie to return when Mikki and Mike came in through the E.R. entrance and strode over to where they stood.

"Hey, Pete, Jim…you two the ones we're supposed to meet about the body?" Mike asked.

"Yeah…we're still waiting to speak with the couple that found the body, though." Jim supplied. "They didn't waste any time getting you guys out here, that's for sure."

"Well, we were in the neighborhood when the call went out over the police band. We just kind of drifted over that way…just in case. They sent us on over here." Mikki offered, as she swept her glance from Pete to Jim and then back to Pete, offering him a look that spoke volumes more than Mikki should have been thinking while on duty.

Glancing at his partner, and seeing that the look Mikki gave him hadn't gone unnoticed by Jim, Pete shifted uncomfortably and smiled back at Mikki as a blush slowly crept up his neck. Mike, who had seen the whole exchange, began to chuckle. "Why don't the two of you just quit dancing around the issue and get a hotel room tonight! Jeez!"

Things between Pete and Mikki had been a bit strained in the six weeks since Mikki had been shot while helping to rescue Pete and Barbara Ann from the hands of a madman. While Mikki had survived the bullet wound and the subsequent surgery, the baby that she and Pete had created, and that neither knew she was carrying, had not survived the trauma. The whole ordeal was more than Mikki could deal with at the time and she shut Pete out completely for the first couple of weeks, refusing to see or talk to him.

Their relationship had seemed to be on verge of not surviving, as well, until finally, after a couple of weeks, she went to see Pete. The two of them sat down and talked and Pete was able to get Mikki to open up to him about her feelings regarding the baby and the miscarriage. The two spent a tearful evening, clinging to one another as they talked about what had happened. They were still walking on fragile ground, but together they were beginning to work things out.

Mikki shot Mike a look that told him to 'stuff it' before assuming her professional demeanor and beginning the process of questioning the officers about what they knew so far, which wasn't much, since they hadn't had a chance to really question the witnesses yet.

"Who found the body?" Mikki asked.

"An elderly couple that was out for their morning stroll; a Mr. and Mrs. Zenderfeld. The lady began having chest pains and passed out just as we were about to begin questioning them. Luckily the ambulance was on the scene quickly and they were able to get her here in time. She's going to be fine, but we still need to talk with her and her husband." Pete gave them the quick rundown.

Mikki nodded and asked, "Mind if Mike and I ride in on your coattails while you question them?"

"No, I don't see a problem in that. As soon as the Dr. Bracket gives us the all clear to talk to her, we'll go in. Can I buy you a cup of coffee, while we wait?"

"That'd be great," Mikki replied, as she followed Pete into the doctor's lounge, but not before turning to Jim and Mike, who remained standing at the nurses station. "Are you two coming?"

"Uhm, you two go ahead…we'll come and get you when the doctor says that we can go in." Mike gave her another one of his volume speaking looks. Jim refused to look at Pete or Mikki.

Mikki turned to Pete and asked, "Do you get the feeling that those two are in cahoots?"

"I got that feeling a long time ago, dear." Pete put his hand on Mikki's elbow and guided her through the open door and into the lounge. Mikki pulled out two chairs and sat in one while Pete went to the coffeepot and poured two cups of coffee. He set them on the table and then took a seat, himself.

"What are you doing after work? You want to have dinner together?" Pete had really missed their time together and found himself holding his breath while waiting for her answer.

"Dinner, huh?" Mikki questioned.

"Or we could just go for a walk or something. I just want to spend some time with you, Mikki…I've really missed 'us', ya know?"

Mikki nodded, "Yeah, I have too, Pete; dinner sounds great…dessert sounds even better, though."

Pete watched her eyes light up and dance in merriment as the blush rose slowly in her cheeks. He couldn't keep the smile from spreading across his face as he sat across from her, gazing into her eyes.

The door opened and Jim popped his head in, "Hey, Doctor Bracket said that we can go see…oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

"Jim!" Pete growled. Jim chuckled and Mikki laughed. The three made their way out of the break room and down to the treatment room, where Mike was already waiting inside with Mr. and Mrs. Zenderfeld.

"Mr. and Mrs. Zenderfeld, this is my partner, Agent Sanders, and I believe you have already met Officers Malloy and Reed."

Mikki reached out and shook Mr. Zenderfeld's hand, and then lightly laid her hand on Mrs. Zenderfeld's arm. "It's nice to meet you both. Mrs. Zenderfeld, how are you feeling?"

"Oh, I am still a bit shaken, but the doctor said that I am going to be fine. It's just such a tragedy…a boy that young; the poor thing. And his parents…my, but they must be worried sick about where their son is, don't you think?"

"Yes, Ma'am; it is a shame. Rest assured that we are doing everything that we possibly can to ensure that we find out what happened." Mikki then turned to Pete, "Officer Malloy, why don't you and Officer Reed go ahead with your questions; Agent Sanchez and I will just hang back here until you're finished." She and Mike then moved over to the side of the room, giving Jim and Pete full control over the question and answer session since they were the initial responders to the call.

Pete nodded and moved in closer to the bed, addressing both of the elderly subjects. "Mrs. Zenderfeld, we're glad that you're feeling better. We just have a few questions for the two of you, and then we'll leave you to rest. I'll try to be as quick as possible, but if at any time you feel like you need to stop, please let me know."

Both of them nodded and then Pete began, "I'm going to need to get your full names and address for our report, first of all."

The witnesses complied, quickly giving their names, address and phone number to Pete and after he wrote the information down, he continued, "Can you please tell me again just how you came to find the body?"

"Well, Officer," Mr. Zenderfeld began, "like I told you earlier, we were out for our morning walk and Lizzie here, wanted to look at the water. She likes to do that, you know." He reached out and took his wife's hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze, and then continued to hold it.

"Now Ralph, you like to look at the water too, and you know it." Mrs. Zenderfeld interjected. "Truth be told, he really likes to feed the ducks and keeps a pocket full of croutons just for the occasion…but the ducks weren't there today." She smiled fondly at her husband as she revealed his secret passion.

Listening to their exchange brought a slight smile to the faces of the officers and the agents, alike. Pete and Mikki exchanged a coy glance at one another, a glance that wasn't lost on Mrs. Zenderfeld.

Hoping to re-focus the loving couple on the task at hand, Pete asked, "Did either one of you see anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, near the pond and dock area?"

"You mean other than the body, Officer?" Mrs. Zenderfeld asked.

"Yes Ma'am; other than the body."

"No, everything was just a peaceful and normal as it always is, Officer." Mr. Zenderfeld offered.

"And as soon as we saw the body, we could tell that the poor thing had been there a while, so Ralph went right up to the payphone there by the shelter area and called for you fellas. I stayed over by the pond so I could make sure that nobody would wander in and trample the area. We know from watching tv that it's very important to keep the area clear so that no evidence gets trampled on. We learned that on tv, we did."

Pete smiled and nodded at the two witnesses, "Yes, you did the right thing in calling us right away...and keeping an eye on things."

Jim, standing next to Pete, made an issue of making notes in his notebook while trying not to chuckle at the lady's explanation of watching the crime scene. Near the back of the room, Mikki pretended to yawn so she would have an excuse to put her hand over her mouth, hiding her smile. Mike refused to look at her and began an intense study of the floor, head bent so far that his chin nearly rested on his chest and his face couldn't be seen.

"Officer…" The woman adjusted her glasses slightly and looked at Pete's nametag, "Malloy, is it?"

"Yes Ma'am, it's Malloy."

"That's Irish, isn't it?"

"Yes Ma'am, it is."

"I thought so."

Pete was a little perplexed when that was all that she asked. "Was there something else you wanted to add, Mrs. Zenderfeld?"

"Oh, goodness, no, I'm just an old woman rambling. Don't mind me. Go on with your questioning."

Pete smiled at her, "Yes, Ma'am; just a couple more questions and we'll be finished."

She reached out and laid a hand on his arm before he could continue, "You know, Officer, my husband and I have been married a good long time. You know what the key to a good, long, relationship is, Officer Malloy?"

"Uhm…no Ma'am. What is the key to a good, long, relationship?" Pete figured he'd better play along or he'd never get her to focus enough to answer the remaining questions.

"Communication! That's the key. You have to talk to each other…talk everything out, no matter how difficult it may seem. Keep the lines of communication open; after all, there's not a better balm for healing, than communication. Don't ever be afraid to let your girl know how you feel." She patted his arm, "Now, you just go on and finish asking your questions."

Nodding at her, Pete smiled and continued the interrogation. Mikki stood across the room, her face aglow, thinking, Wow, that was really random. It's like she can see right into our relationship! How freaky is that?

After finishing up, Pete, Jim, Mike and Mikki left the treatment room and went out into the hall. Dixie was just getting ready to come into the room as the foursome was leaving.

"How'd she do?" She asked.

"They were as helpful as could be under the circumstances. There wasn't really much that they could tell us, though." Jim said.

"Mmm…well, Dr. Brackett wants to keep her overnight just to make sure that everything is okay. If she or her husband think of anything else, we'll certainly give you fellas a call." She then turned her attention to Mike and Mikki, "I don't believe that I've met the two of you. I'm Nurse McCall." Dixie reached her hand out to Mikki and then to Mike.

"Agent Mikki Sanders, Ma'am." Offered Mikki.

"And I am Agent Mike Sanchez. It's a pleasure meet you." Mike put in.

"Agents? That sounds rather 'official.' Are you two with the FBI or something?"

"Yes, Ma'am, we are." Mike supplied with a smile.

"It's Dixie. So are the two of you working with Pete and Jim on this case?"

Pete spoke up, "Agents Sanders and Sanchez will be handling the case for the most part. We don't have a positive identification on the body as of yet, but I don't recall any recent reports on missing teens fitting his description, from our area. When that's the case, the FBI steps in and takes over."

"I see; well, in that case, maybe I should take down the number for you two in case Mr. or Mrs. Zenderfeld remembers anything else." Dixie started to reach for a pad when Mike produced a business card for her. "Well, I guess you two are the real deal, huh? Business cards and all." Mikki noticed that Dixie, although appearing to be several years Mike's senior, was glancing appreciatively at her partner, causing him to blush furiously.

"Excuse me Dixie, is there a phone that I could use?" Mikki asked, breaking Dixie's concentration from Mike.

"Yeah, you can use the one in the lounge so that you can have some privacy. Let me show you the way."

"I got it, Dix." Pete offered quickly, earning a curious look from the head nurse.

Pete quickly ushered Mikki back into the doctor's lounge, lingering a few moments to bid her goodbye before going back out and finding his partner.

Mikki watched Pete's retreating figure, letting out an appreciative sigh as she took in the sight of him in his uniform. She was sucker for a man in blue dacron; especially when that man in blue dacron was Pete.

Damn, I'm having a hot flash just thinking about later… Pulling herself out of her lustful thoughts of spending time with Pete later in the evening, Mikki picked up the phone and dialed the bureau's number. Personal thoughts aside, the matter at hand right now was to find the identity of the deceased.

A short time later, Mikki left the doctor's lounge and found Mike and Dixie laughing together at the nurses' station in the ER area. She frowned at Mike, who didn't seem to notice her look of disapproval. Wonder what's up with THAT! I bet he and Barbara Ann are on outs again; okay, it's time for me to step in…

"Nurse McCall, would you please make sure that the body is secure in the morgue. We're needed back at the office, but we will be back a little later for a positive i.d. on the body."

"Sure thing, Agent Sanders."

"Thank you; now, if you would please excuse us; Mike, we have to go." Mikki began walking away.

"Oh, sure; no problem. I have to get back to work, myself." Dixie said, and then she gave Mike another lingering look before adding, "Mike I look forward to running into you again…real soon."

"Yeah, me too, Dixie. See you later."

Mike walked over to where Mikki had stopped and was now glaring at him, "Let's go." She stated, matter-of-factly, as she spun on her heel and headed through the exit.

"What was that all about, Mikki? It's okay for you to blatantly lust after Pete, but not okay for me to flirt with a cute nurse?"

"Look Mike, just tell me it's none of my business and I'll drop it, okay?"

"Fine then…it's none of your business!" Mike tossed back at her, knowing darn well that whatever was bothering her wasn't going to be derailed so easily. "By the way, what's none of your business?" He then asked.

"The way you were looking at that nurse…at Dixie! What about Barbara Ann, huh? Did you two break up, or what?"

"No, we didn't break up." Mike's face took on a longing look; "I'm in love with her."

"With Dixie? You just met her!"

"No, not with Dixie…with Barbara Ann; I want to marry her." There, he'd said it. He'd confirmed what Mikki had suspected for a few weeks but couldn't get him to talk about.

"Mike, that's wonderful! Have you asked her yet? What'd she say?"

Mike held up his hand to stop the barrage of questions, "No, I haven't asked her yet. Besides, what if she says 'no'?"

In all the years that she'd known Mike, Mikki had never seen him look so vulnerable as he did in that moment. She had no words of wisdom to offer; how could she with the mess that her love life was in. Giving Mike a long, suffering look, "C'mon, let's go back to the office; we've got three potentials for our John Doe; we need to narrow it down to one positive i.d."

* * *

"You getting hungry yet, Pete?" Jim asked as he picked up the mic to clear them off of the follow-up at Rampart.

"Yeah, I guess. May as well ask for it; we may not get a chance later."

Jim pushed the button, "1 Adam-12 clear from follow-up at Rampart and requesting code seven."

'Roger that, 1 Adam-12; clear for code 7.'

"1 Adam-12, roger." Jim hung up the mic. "So, where are we eating at partner?"

Pete shrugged, "You pick."

"Duke's?"

"Sounds good, Junior." Pete turned the corner and drove towards Duke's Longhorn Restaurant, a favorite diner for both of the officers.

***************

"I think I ate too much." Came from Jim as he and Pete walked out of Duke's and towards their squad car.

Pete laughed at the uncomfortable expression on his partner's face, "Some things just never change, do they, partner?" He teased.

Before Jim could respond, there was a scream across the street. The officers looked up in time to see a man tugging on a woman's purse, trying to take it from her. She was screaming and holding on as best as she could.

Both officers took off across the street, dodging cars. Pete had drawn his revolver and when he hit the curb he pointed it at the suspect and yelled, "Freeze!"

The man shoved the woman backwards and took off running; Jim was close on his heels.

Several pedestrians had stopped to offer assistance to the victim.

Jim and the suspect rounded the corner and Pete ran back to the black and white and jumped in. Calling in that his partner was in foot pursuit, he then turned the car and headed down the side street, running code three and keeping Jim and the suspect in sight the best he could.

The suspect began to run in between the buildings, with Jim fast on his tail. Pete continued to call out their location and soon there were two more squad cars in the area. Pete began orchestrating a plan to surround the suspect from three sides, counting on Jim to run him right into their path. The plan worked. As the suspect and Jim ran down an alley, Pete pulled the squad car across the alleyway entrance, blocking the path of escape. He then got out and drew his service revolver and once again yelled, "FREEZE!"

Stopping in his tracks, the suspect put his hands in the air and gave up. Jim, huffing and puffing, came up behind the suspect and cuffed him, reading him his rights and then walking him over to the cruiser.

Pete got on the radio and called in that they had the suspect in custody and were en-route back to the scene of the crime to gather information before taking the suspect down to the station and booking him.

*******************

"You okay, Jim? You look a little green around the gills." Pete voiced as he and Jim got back into the cruiser after they had finished booking their would be purse snatcher.

Jim rubbed his stomach, "I think I could've done without the 5k run so soon after lunch. Think we can swing by the drugstore so I can get something for indigestion?"

Pete chuckled, "Sure thing, partner." He pulled out into traffic and headed for the nearest drugstore in their beat. Pulling over to the curb, he waited while Jim went in and got what he needed and, a short time later, much to Jim's relief, the bellyache was subsiding.

The afternoon had quieted considerably compared to the mornings' activities of the dead body call, as well as the purse snatcher and the two partners enjoyed the afternoon sunshine as they patrolled their beat, making small conversation as they went.

"Mikki seems to be bouncing back okay."

"Yeah, she's doing pretty well. The doctor gave her a clean bill of health and I know that she's glad to be back to work."

"How about the two of you? You back on track?" Jim didn't want to pry but he knew that their relationship had taken a lot of bruising in the aftermath of the kidnapping and shooting incident.

Not one to normally discuss his personal life, Pete hesitated for only a moment before replying to Jim. "Yeah, Jim…we're doing okay; working through it." He hesitated another brief moment, "Uhm, if I never said it, thanks…thanks for all of your support and encouragement when that all happened. It meant a lot to me to have someone that I could talk to; especially when Mikki was shutting me out."

Jim knew that Pete was uncomfortable with talking about the whole incident and subsequent weeks that ensued so he kept his reply short and to the point. "No problem, partner; it's what friends do."

Pete glanced over and gave his partner a slight smile and then re-trained his eyes on the road.

Wanting to lighten the mood a bit, Jim piped up with "You two want to come over tonight for dinner? That is, if you think Mikki is up to visiting with Jean. We're just throwing some burgers and dogs on the grill and Jean's making her famous potato salad that you love."

"You know what…I'm gonna go out on a limb and take you up on that offer, partner. What do you want us to bring?"

"Nothing…just yourselves."

"Nothing doing…we'll stop and pick up something for dessert. What time do you want us over there?"

"I figure that we'll eat about six o'clock, so come over anytime before then."

"Sounds good." Pete glanced at his watch, "Hey, look at that, will ya? We've cruised away the afternoon and its time to head to the barn." Turning the squad car left at the next intersection, Pete and Jim headed for the station.

*****************

Mikki took a quick peak at her watch as she approached Pete's apartment door. She figured that he'd be home by now, after all it was nearly five o'clock. Knocking a couple of times, her heart leapt when she heard Pete call out for her to come in, as he was turning the door knob and opening the door.

As soon as Mikki was inside, Pete closed the door and took her into his arms, planting a passionately lingering kiss on her lips. Pulling away he said. "Hi Beautiful; I have been thinking about you all day and anticipating that kiss all afternoon."

"Mmm…I see: so all you've been anticipating was that one little kiss?" Mikki asked in a gentle and teasing voice as she ran her hands appreciatively down Pete's chest, around his waist, and slid them down to rest on his buttocks.

Pete sucked in a sharp breath as he reached his hands back and took a hold of her hands and brought them both up to his lips, placing a tender kiss on each one. "Oh no; rest assured that I have been looking forward to so much more, but if I don't stop you, we'll be late for the Reeds." He uttered in a thick, voice.

Mikki pulled back slightly, "The Reeds? When did we make those plans?" She asked.

Pete gave her an apologetic look, "Sorry, I probably should have checked with you first, it's just that Jim asked if we'd like to come over for a cookout tonight."

"No Pete, don't apologize. That's fine; I haven't talked to Jean in quite awhile. It will be nice to sit and chat with her a little bit. What are we supposed to take? More importantly, how am I going to keep my hands off of you until we get back here later on?" She had nuzzled up to him and once again was running her hands over him in a pleasant way, causing him to let out a low moan of anticipation. He knew it would be a late evening for the two of them, but not because of visiting with friends.

"C'mon…we have to leave now or I'm going to call Jim and cancel. Besides, we need to stop and get something for dessert."

That line brought a seductive purr from Mikki, "Mmm…dessert…I love the kind of dessert that we share." Mikki pressed herself up against Pete before he could protest, and then she pulled back and gave him a wicked look, "That should give you something to think about while we are at Jim and Jeans' house." She walked toward the door and over her shoulder she asked, "Are you coming or not?"

Pete's voice was raspy as he replied, "You go ahead and go get in the car…I just need a minute to uh…to uhm…yeah…just go get in the car and I'll lock up and be out."

Pete heard Mikki give a gusty laugh as she closed the door behind her and walked down the hall. That wasn't the first time that she'd left him in a fretful way and it took him a couple of minutes to make his way down to the car.

******************

"Mikki, this double layer chocolate chip fudge cake is absolutely sinful! Where on earth did you ever hear of it?" Jean asked, as she brought another forkful to her mouth.

"The grocery store bakery section has it all of the time. It's a wonderful pick-me-up if you're feeling low, and, it's a super dessert to stop and pick up when your date springs it on you, at the last moment, that you are going to a friends house for dinner, and that the two of you are bringing the dessert."

Jim watched and laughed out loud, as Jean nearly swooned in anticipation of the next bite of cake.

"She used to look at me like that." Jim commented in a teasing tone, earning him a punch in the arm from Jean.

"Oh yeah? Well partner, Mikki still looks at me like that." Pete shot back easily, causing Mikki to roll her eyes and nearly choked on the bite of cake that she had just taken.

"Hey, you okay, there? Need a little pat on the back?" Pete had gotten up out of his chair and stepped over to where Mikki was sitting.

Fully recovered from the mock coughing fit, Mikki smiled brightly, the orneriness easily reaching her eyes, "I don't need a pat on the back…maybe a little mouth to mouth, or…"

Pete's eyes got a big as saucers; he didn't want her to say anything that would embarrass him in front of Jim and Jean, so he quickly grabbed another fork full of cake and smoothly shoved in Mikki's mouth, much to her surprise. Jean and Jim looked on in amusement, and Pete changed the subject as quickly as possible.

Finished with her cake, Jean stood up, "Honey, why don't you and Pete go out back relax on the patio; I think Mikki and I have some catching up to do."

"Sure thing, Honey." Jim picked little Jimmy up off of the booster seat and carried him outside, with Pete following close behind, leaving the women to their privacy in the now quiet kitchen.

Mikki started to rise from her chair so that she could help Jean clear the dishes, but Jean reached out and placed a hand on her wrist, "Mikki, sit…please. I just wanted to talk privately with you for a minute…if that's okay."

"Yeah; sure, Jean. What's on your mind?"

"Pete." Jean said, with a little bit of hesitance.

Mikki smiled, "Yeah, Pete's on my mind all of the time too. But, wait, why is he on your mind? You're a married woman, Jean!"

Jean laughed, "He's not on my mind in that way, Mikki!"

She hesitated briefly, before blurting out "Do you love him, Mikki?"

"What?"

"I asked you if you love Pete? He's such a good man, and Jim and I never want to see him hurt. He doesn't deserve that." She shifted uneasily before continuing, "You know, you hurt him deeply when you shut him out after the…well, you know…afterwards."

Mikki was taken aback a little, but she understood the reason behind the question. "Jean, I never meant to hurt Pete in any way. You and Jim have to know that; you have to understand that I was dealing with a situation that had me on an emotional roller coaster."

"Until recently, I never, ever, even thought of having a family…of having kids, of my own. Heck, I was convinced that I would never want to get married, even. Then along came Pete and my whole world was totally turned upside down. Suddenly, I understood why my sisters and my parents are always raving about how wonderful married life is. I mean, Pete and I aren't married or anything, but spending time with him is just…well, it's just wonderful; it's almost like finding and placing that final, perfectly fitted piece into a jigsaw puzzle. Does that make sense?"

Jean nodded, and Mikki continued, "I hadn't realized just how much he was coming to mean to me, until he was kidnapped and missing. It felt like a part of me was missing too. And then, after the shooting…well, I was a mess; and I was sure that I had let Pete down, in more ways than one."

"What do you mean by, in more ways than one?" Jean asked in a confused tone.

"Well, first, I ended up pregnant…and we didn't know it; then, when I lost the baby…well, I was sure that Pete wouldn't want anything to do with me, ever again, for allowing myself to jeopardize our baby. Not that I could really blame him, if that were the case; but that wasn't the case at all. He's been wonderful. It's me who's been the one that has had a difficult time coming to terms with everything, and with sharing my feelings about it. Pete's been the proverbial 'Rock of Gibraltar."

Mikki's eyes were stinging, as she held back unshed tears. "I know that he wanted to be there, from the get go, but I just didn't have the strength to allow myself to let him mourn with me. I didn't want him to see my weak, emotional side, and I wasn't strong enough, emotionally, to deal with what he was feeling, too. I was being very selfish…and I realize that, now."

Jean felt bad for dredging up bad memories for Mikki, she reached out and touched Mikki's arm, "Oh, Mikki…I am so sorry. I didn't mean for this to upset you. You had no way of knowing about the baby. I wouldn't have even brought the subject up, but…well…I just had to know that you don't intend to hurt Pete…in any way. Not only is he Jim's partner and best friend, as well as Jimmy's godfather, but he's like a big brother to Jim and I and we just can't stand to see him hurting. I hope you understand."

Mikki's eyes met Jean's, "Yeah Jean, I understand; and it was never my intention to hurt Pete in any way. We've talked about things…we sometimes still talk about it. I don't know where our relationship will go from here, but I do think that we share a very strong bond; we are just taking it one day and one step at a time, right now…and to answer your question, Jean…Yes, I do love him; very much so. He's the man I could see spending the rest of my life with…but I just don't know if it would never work between us because we are too much alike; so I've never told him that I love him."

Jean sat there, reflecting on Mikki's words. Suddenly, a smile began to spread across her face and she said, "Oh pooh! There's no reason whatsoever that it couldn't work out between the two of you; you're perfect for each other! Trust me, I have an imaginary crystal ball and I know all about these things."

Mikki laughed as she watched Jean's expression go from concern about Pete being hurt, to being positively sure that Mikki and Pete were alter bound.

The back screen door opened and Pete came in just as Mikki was getting ready to reply.

"Know all about what things?" Pete asked lightly as he smiled at Mikki.

Mikki looked up and caught his gaze, smiled brightly and blurted out, "She knows…she knows that I love you, Pete. I do and I…well, I just can't keep it a secret any longer." And with that said, Mikki stood up and closed the short distance between the two of them and put her arms around Pete's neck, stretching up to give him a tender kiss on the lips, which he eagerly returned.

Jean, smiling broadly, felt that the couple needed a few private moments to themselves, and as she opened the screen door to go out on the patio with Jim and Jimmy, she heard Pete say, "I love you too, Mikki…I love you so very much." Jean didn't need a crystal ball to know that her two friends were going to be okay.

Pete and Mikki continued to hold each other for a few more minutes before Mikki finally pulled away, and, still smiling up at Pete, "Do you suppose that maybe we should go back outside? After all, I think standing here, smooching in the middle of the Reed's kitchen, just might border on non-etiquette."

Bending in low for another kiss, Pete muttered, "I'm all for tossing etiquette out the window right now. Why don't we go say our goodnights to our hosts and take this party back to my place."

"Or mine; you know, you've never spent the night at my place…as a matter of fact, I don't think you've spent more than a few short minutes at my place, at any time."

"What about Mike?"

"Mike won't be home tonight…well, if all goes well with Barbara Ann, that is, he won't be there tonight."

"What d'ya mean?"

"He's popping the question to her tonight." Mikki watched Pete's face, trying to gage his reaction.

"The question?" Pete asked, a slight flush creeping up his neck at the mere mention of his friend joining the ranks of the wedded bliss and giving up bachelorhood.

"Relax, Pete…just because my partner has his mind set on marriage, doesn't mean that I am going to start pining away to get the altar, myself."

Looking a little uncomfortable, yet just a bit relieved, "Look, Mikki, I didn't mean it that way; I just…well, it's just that…"

"Pete, I'm not ready to get married; maybe someday…but not today…or tomorrow, even. Right now, I just want to revel in the fact that I've finally allowed myself tell you how I feel. Where we go from here, I don't know, but I do know that I love you and I don't want to miss out on one more minute of telling you how I feel about you…I don't need a marriage certificate to validate that."

Rendered momentarily speechless, Pete encircled Mikki in his arms once again; finally finding his voice, "I love you too, Mikki and I'll do my best to never let you down or to disappoint you in any way. Let's go tell Jim and Jean goodnight."

Mikki's face took on a mischievous look, "And go home and have dessert?"

Pete threw back his head and laughed, "Yes, we'll go home and have dessert…and practice on keeping the lines of communication open."

The end

Thanks for taking the time to read this piece. Hope you have enjoyed it. Feel free to leave a review…even if it is only to tell me that there are a few minor mistakes; after all, I'd be disappointed in myself if there weren't!


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